Earlier sol gel derived ceria nanoparticles between 0-100 mm are known, but it was very hard to achieve a stable suspension of non agglomerated particles. Particle agglomeration decreases the surface area of nanoparticles and may render them dysfunctional in some applications. For example, particles synthesized at 2-10 nm may agglomerate or clump, into particles with effective sizes much larger, thereby defeating the purpose of harnessing nanomaterial properties. Also, larger agglomerated particles appear to be unable to enter the cell, thereby losing their biological activity. Some oxide nanoparticles with sizes less than 10 nm may have a considerable amount of oxygen defects in their lattice structure which may be responsible for free radical scavenging. The present invention provides novel nonagglomerated engineered, ultra fine cerium oxide nanoparticles of the size of 2-10 nm.
It is a novel finding that exposure of the engineered, non-agglomerated ultra fine cerium oxide nanoparticles of 2-10 nm size of this invention to cells, enhances their lifespan in culture by acting as a regenerative free radical scavenger. Furthermore, these particles also have potent anti-inflammatory properties.